Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, November 14, 2008 Page: 3 of 48
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soundout
By Brent Paxton
questions
with
Jakin Vela
Jakin Vela is an LGBT activist and co-president of SMU's Spectrum. Jakin also spends his
time volunteering in the community for a variety of organizations. His is particularly passion-
ate about women's issues.
When did you first get involved with Specirum?
I first got involved with Spectrum during my first semester at SMLJ in Spring 2007.1
was a general member, and really enjoyed going to the meetings, seeing all the familiar
1
faces.
2 What is your favorite part of Spectrum?
My favorite part of Spectrum is when we all come together for a supportive and
encouraging atmosphere. I really enjoy the fact that so many different individuals can
sit together in one room and act as a unified organization. We are supportive of our fellow
peers and classmates who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, ques-
tioning or straight. Here at SMU we call straight supporters "allies."
3 What are some of the challenges you've faced as co-president?
Some of the challenges have definitely revolved around adapting to the larger size of
the group. As president last year; we had about 10 members coming to each meeting.
To facilitate and manage meeting times and events this year definitely takes more work. We
currently have around 20 people at our weekly meetings. This change has been a new, excit-
ing challenge that I think has turned out well. The members are all so fun and supportive.
The energy is high and everyone is enthusiastic.
4 Do you see any changes for the organization in the near future?
I definitely see the group expanding even more than it has done so in the past few
years. I would love to see Spectrum become even more active and well known around
campus. I think every year Spectrum is changing and progressing. I'm really looking for-
ward to seeing what the new officers will bring to the organization and to the SMU cam-
pus. I would also love to see SMU hire a staff member that is devoted to LGBT students
and maybe even a center.
3 What is your future in the LGBT community?
I hope that my future in the LGBT community includes an active role in standing up
for the equality of all people. I know that whatever career path I take, whether it be in
the film, music or non-profit realm, my heart will be on issues of social justice. Who knows,
maybe I'll come back to SMU and be that full time staff member devoted to the LGBT stu-
dents on campus.
Soundout is a weekly column featuring people whose jobs and interests have an impact on the daily lives of members
of the LGBT community. It features those who often go unnoticed by the press and community. If you'd like to recom-
mend someone to cover in this column, editor@dallasvoice.com.
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Nash, Tammye. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, November 14, 2008, newspaper, November 14, 2008; Dallas, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth239038/m1/3/?q=wichita+falls: accessed May 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.